METHOD FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE AND PRODUCTION BY ALUMINUM HYDROLYSIS FOR OFF-LINE POWER PLANTS INCORPORATING ELECTROCHEMICAL GENERATORS Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: off-line power engineering; power plants incorporating electrochemical generators.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method for hydrogen storage and production in off-line power plants whose functioning cycle lasts from a few hours to several thousands of hours primarily used for submarines, underwater apparatuses, ships, rail and motor transport, periodically functioning domestic power supplies, as well as periodically functioning stationary power installations used for most important equipment requiring no-break power supply includes hydrogen production by aluminum hydrolysis. Source components are aluminum in the form of foil, sheet, wire, granules of regular or irregular shape provided one of linear dimensions of used component shape does not exceed 1 - 2 mm, and water vapor that ensures enhanced hydrogen yield. In power plants operating in off-line mode for maximum a few hours hydrolysis is conducted at temperature of 250 - 300 °C; use is made of container method of storage including replacement of completely spent container. For power installations operating more frequently in off-line mode hydrolysis is conducted at temperature of 200 - 250 °C, use being made of changeable or unchangeable containers and removal of reaction products from unchangeable container being made by sucking out oxide from container or by dissolving aluminum oxide with aid of chemical reagents, followed by washing and drying out. Flowrate of hydrogen produced in the process is controlled by regulating amount of water supplied in the form of vapor.

EFFECT: enhanced efficiency and hydrogen yield, reduced cost of hydrogen production, eliminated need for using chemically active media in the course of operation, and enhanced hydrogen yield.

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